Most fighters are not happy to compete on one week’s notice, but Timmy Mason cannot wait for his opportunity at BKFC 82.
Mason is stepping in for Frankie Edgar, who was forced to withdraw from the event on Wednesday. The 32-year-old is excited for the opportunity to fight UFC veteran Jimmie Rivera, but he is even more thrilled with the opportunity to lock horns with a police officer.
“I’m just excited to be fighting a cop,” Mason said at the BKFC 82 press conference. “I’ve been running from cops my whole life. Now I get to fight one and not get in trouble, so that’s pretty cool.”
Timmy Mason is READY to finally fight a cop 🤣#BKFC82 | Oct 4 | Tix at https://t.co/LJX5urGSHu | Live on DAZN 👉 Buy now at https://t.co/vd8ZAEeHNR | Link in bio pic.twitter.com/D87sUvpG6L
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) October 2, 2025
Rivera graduated from the New Jersey Police Academy in January 2023. He has since been working full-time at the Elmwood Park Police Department.
Rivera and Edgar were expected to be the featured bout of the main card in a battle between two New Jersey natives. BKFC 82 will be the promotion’s debut in the state and the first sanctioned bare-knuckle boxing event in the area.
Edgar, 43, was making his return to combat sports after retiring from MMA at UFC 281 in November 2022. Considering Edgar’s final three MMA bouts ended in knockout losses, many fans were initially against the announcement, but the former UFC lightweight champion called his return a “perfect storm.”
Rivera will instead face Mason, who brings a 3-2 bare-knuckle record into the biggest fight of his career. Mason is coming off a first-round knockout of AJ Craig at BKFC 79 in August, making this fight a two-month turnaround.
Feb 17, 2019; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Jimmie Rivera (red gloves) and Aljamain Sterling (blue gloves) fight during their bantamweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Sterling won via unanimous decision. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Despite Mason replacing Edgar, the bout will remain in the same spot on the card. Rivera was scheduled to face Edgar at 145 pounds, but the new matchup will commence at 155 pounds to accommodate Mason’s short notice.
Rivera and Mason will square off one fight before Jessica Borga and Christine Ferea meet in the center of the ring in the co-main event. The fight will be for the inaugural ‘Queen of Violence’ title in a 137-pound catchweight bout.
BKFC 82 will be headlined by Mike Perry, who returns to defend his ‘King of Violence’ title against Jeremy Stephens. The two former UFC veterans are both undefeated in bare-knuckle, with a combined five knockouts in their eight fights.
BKFC president David Feldman revealed on ‘The Ariel Helwani Show’ that he expects to sell roughly 11,000 tickets to the 16,755-seat Prudential Center. The event will begin at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. ET, with main event ring walks estimated for 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. ET.
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